Residents of a small community in Steuben County can now pick up groceries along with freshly made subs, sandwiches and pizza closer to home and in a building that many have visited for decades.
The family-owned Towlesville Store recently opened at the former longtime headquarters of the Towlesville Grange in the Town of Howard.
Initial customer reactions to the new store have been enthusiastic.
“It’s been tremendous. We were surprised. I think we had 300 people through the door between Thursday, Friday and Saturday," said Erin Slayton.
The Slayton family - Erin, her husband Jonathan and their four children - envisioned a family business in a building better known for ham and leek dinners and Halloween parties.
“A lot of people know where the Grange is. People come in and go, ‘I haven’t been here in 20 years. The last time I was here it was for a ham and leek dinner,'" Erin Slayton said.
The store's location is at the Turnpike Road junction. While maybe not a bustling metropolis, Towlesville had its moments and was once the center of a fairly populated area.
"The Turnpike road was the stage coach route between Bath and Hornell," said Jonathan Slayton. "As they settled and worked their way west from Bath, this was the main road. It was actually a toll road."
Jonathan and Erin both grew up on dairy farms in Steuben County and they have owned their own 1,000-acre organic dairy farm since 2011. The family farm is about two miles from the store.
The couple jumped on buying the Grange building when it went up for sale a couple years ago. The building includes a kitchen and a full-size basement, and the Slayton family was dead set on opening a grocery store there, seeing it as an alternative for customers who don't want to make the longer drive to Bath or Hornell.
“That’s our goal. To fill the need for groceries," Erin Slayton said. "There has been a lot of interest. Countless people have said, 'When are you going to get that store open? We need that store open.'"
Towlesville Store hours, days open and what they carry
The store is at 6839 County Route 69, Towlesville, which is within the town of Howard.
The structure was built in 1908 but has undergone major upgrades to be converted to a store.
Store hours are 10 a.m. until 6 p.m., Monday through Saturday. Alcohol and tobacco products are not sold.
The Towlesville Store has staples like eggs, milk, a variety of cheeses, coffee, juice, some canned goods, meats, bacon, hot dogs and sausage. A box of fresh sweet corn was there for the taking on Wednesday.
A seven-door cooler features drinks, including soda, juice, Pepsi products, water and Gatorade.
There is a large variety of candy and other snack items, along with some baked goods including cupcakes and cookies. Hint: the homemade Maple Snicker doodle cookies are getting scooped up as quickly as they are baked.
There are some bread products, but the store is still waiting to lock up a major distributor.
What else has been an early hit?
“Our maple syrup, because we make it here on the farm, has been going crazy. The pizza has been going pretty good too," Jonathan Slayton said.
In addition to the fresh-made subs, pizza is available in slices or as whole medium-sized pies.
“The lunch menu has been a big hit,” Erin Slayton said.
Slayton daughter Diana was preparing orders for a steady stream of customers during the lunch hour Wednesday while younger brother George manned the cash register.
Two other Slayton kids, Louisa and Loretta, are also active members of the store team.
The next phase for the Towlesville Store: Here comes ice cream
What's next for the store? Get ready for ice cream. The Towlesville Store is expecting its first ice cream delivery by the weekend with plans to eventually expand to have both hard dip and soft serve ice cream stations.
Erin Slayton said the store will increase its orders each week, adding more variety and products to its shelves.
The owners said there has been numerous requests for bulk goods like 50-pound bags of sugar and flour, and the store will be responsive to the demand, adding additional items in bulk sizes.
Another goal is having a section of the store for farm equipment parts and animal and pet feed.
"We are slowly building our inventory. We are not 100 percent there yet, but that is the goal and I don't think it will take too long to get there," Erin Slayton said.
When is the Towlesville Store grand opening celebration?
The Slaytons store's grand opening party is scheduled for Sept. 28 and the all-day affair will include a performance by country music artist Craig Wilkins , store specials and other happenings.
Look for more grand opening details on the store's Facebook page .
Email Neal Simon at nsimon@gannett.com. To get unlimited access to the latest news, please subscribe or activate your digital account toda y.
This article originally appeared on The Evening Tribune: Towlesville Store: Family-owned grocery store opens in small Steuben County hamlet
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